THE 505 PODCAST 117. Crafting a Winning Director's Treatment (In-Depth Analysis & Breakdown)
What's going on Rock Nation, today we welcome Duncan Heger! Duncan is a commercial and documentary filmmaker with a focus on storytelling that connects with today’s audiences. From working with Will Ferrell, to creating impactful content for brands like the American Red Cross, Duncan combines tradition with a modern, social-first approach. His work is not just seen - it’s felt and remembered, making a meaningful impression whether on the NFL’s big stage or a coveted film festival.
Check out Duncan here:
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https://www.duncanheger.com/
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Timestamps:
0:00 - Trailer
1:48 - Intro
3:25 - One Handed Crack
4:56 - Gettired Hired to Direct Will Ferrell
6:52 - Explaining a Tech Scout
7:43 - The Process of Working with a Writer
10:12 - “Messi is going to shit his pants when he sees this”
10:58 - LAFC X Will Ferrell Spot
12:38 - The Lighting Setup
13:19 - Gear Used for the LAFC X Will Ferrell spot
13:33 - Lexar
15:07 - Location of LAFC X Will Ferrell spot
15:31 - Duncan’s role in set design
16:54 - Fangirling over Will Ferrell
18:00 - What it’s like to Direct Will Ferrell
19:42 - How Duncan got his start with filmmaking
20:54 - Working with people who are more talented than you
22:12 - Duncan’s Pre-Production process
23:55 - Outsourcing work as a Director
25:20 - How Duncan started working with Stadium
28:21 - Reviewing a Director’s Treatment
29:24 - Duncan’s Inspo Database
30:02 - How Danny makes his Director’s Treatments
30:38 - Most important pieces for a Director’s Treatment
33:01- More about Director Treatment
34:05 - Director Treatment Approach
35:37 - Look and Feel
35:42 - How Duncan got into Documentary Filmmaking
37:18 - Script
39:05 - Advice for conducting interviews
41:14 - Director Treatment: Location
42:21 - Knowing when to fight for creative ideas as a Director
44:12 - Why Martin Scorsese is the GOAT
44:42 - What Duncan has pulled from other sets he’s been on
49:35 - Director’s Treatment: Cinematography & Edit
50:47 - Explaining a Director’s Cut
53:21 - Duncan’s role in the editing process as a Director
54:50 - What Duncan would have changed in the LAFC x Will Ferrell spot
56:45 - Breaking down a Director’s Reel
59:50 - Why Thumbnails are so important
1:00:45 - How important Social Media is to Duncan as a Director
1:04:30 - Directing Jared Leto
1:05:50- Improving with Will Ferrell
1:06:33 - What hard skills Directors need to know
1:09:18 - Personal goals Duncan has for Directing
1:09:49 - How the Film Festival Circuit works
1:12:00 - Most important crew members for a set
1:13:16 - Duncan’s preference in cinematography styles
1:13:59 - How to become repped by a production company
1:15:24 - How a Director wins work
1:20:17 - How working with Stadium helped Duncan as a Director
1:22:33 - Advice to your 18 year old self
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